Women under pressure

Denise Ayana Alfaro | Shameless

Do you like the way you look? Do you stare at the mirror and criticize yourself? At some point in our lives, we catch ourselves troubling with our insecurities. And then we ask, “Why do I look this way?” “Why can’t I have this and that?” “Ganahan ko parehas mig lawas ni kuan” We always have that one thing that we want to change in our body. We want what we don’t have, and we always crave for more.

It’s sad knowing that we live in a world where there are women who are forced to compromise their health just to have that unreachable standard of beauty. And there are a number of articles written about how women are developing eating disorders because they think they’re too fat. According to experts writing for British Journal of Clinical Psychology, media images which portray ultra-slim bodies are thought to greatly influence women to desire the ideal figure.

Models and celebrities having those towering legs, small waist, perfect oval face shape, full lips and illuminating skin, women are tempted to lose weight just to have those desirable physical attributes.

I too am guilty of that. I sometimes would wish I was made of plastic. Then it would be easy for me to look good, I’d roll myself out, long and very thin. I’d stretch my stubby fingers into elegant, manicured hands; I’d narrow my neck, make the legs long and lean then bleach myself so that I can have that fair skin that everyone yearns. And then I’d think I’ll look perfect.

But then, what next? Would that change everyone’s outlook? Would they treat us better because we’re pretty? We always try so hard to look good for others yet we don’t even care enough for ourselves. We really don’t have to force ourselves to change just to fit in or even limit ourselves into thinking that we have to become different for others to like us. We shouldn’t live in others’ standard. If they can’t accept who we truly are, what we look like, then they don’t deserve us at all. There will be people that would willingly love us and accept us without any conditions.

Beauty doesn’t just lie in what the eyes can see. It’s beyond that. One of my favorite authors, Scott Westerfeld said, “What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.” And there is nothing more beautiful than a woman being confident and comfortable with what she has.

Always remember that there is no such thing as too fat or too skinny and that we don’t owe anyone any perfection. We should live in our own comfort. And we should be proud with what we have and flaunt it because even the parts of us that we think are flawed are considered to be perfect by others.

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM EXCELLENCE AWARD: Diorson Baseleres, youngest son of Dr. Rosario M. Baseleres and the late Dionisio T. Baseleres, together with College of Mass Communication OIC-Dean Melita C. Aguilar (left) and Vice President for Development Jane Annette L. Belarmino at the launching of the Dionisio T. Baseleres Award for Excellence in Campus Journalism last Feb. 22.PHOTO BY Hannah Bengco

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the Weekly Sillimanian, also known as tWS, is the official weekly student publication of Silliman University, a private Christian university in Dumaguete City, Philippines. Its origin dates back to as early as 1903. Today, the paper is one of only four campus publications in the country that publishes on a weekly basis.